Celtics midfield minefield

Martin ONeill has been shuffling his midfield four, but Celtic are stuttering and can look lopsided

By definition, midfielders see themselves as being central to things on a football pitch. Few are keen on being marginalised from the middle. At Nottingham Forest, Brian Clough had a natural winger to call upon in John Robertson but Martin O’Neill didn’t take too kindly to being asked to perform towards the other flank while the the likes of John McGovern, Archie Gemmill and Ian Bowyer filled the coveted space between him and his pal. O’Neill didn’t always agree with Clough, but a championship and a couple of European Cups are difficult to argue with. “I did ask Brian Clough one day why I wasn’t playing centre midfield and he said, ‘Because you are c***’.”

Now, O’Neill sees the problem from the other side. He is faced with the same conundrum that once confronted Clough: most of his midfielders fancy setting up home in a central location. Neil Lennon likes